Inside the Jersey: How the new U.S. Soccer National Team Kits were Made
World Cup 2026 Kit Design
The 2026 light kit for the U.S. Federation was really centered around trying to find and establish a unique identity for them in this year where they're actually hosting the event. We did establish ironically that a distinguishable point of view was really centered around horizontal stripes organically and that no other federation in the world has them.
One of the big insights from the athletes was that they wanted to be able to spot the fans and the crowd in the stadium. They feel very energized when they see people cheering them, so they want to be able to see where they're at. So the red and white stripes is a very iconic, undeniably American symbol.
The away kit, we really wanted to create new space and be a little bit more unexpected. We got an insight that they wanted something that they could be a little bit more lifestyle, something that they would go to the club in per se.
World Cup 2026 Predictions
I think this World Cup, with the change of the amount of teams, the amount of games you could potentially play, as well as the travel, I think it'll throw some wrenches in there. I think Japan has a real shot to make a deep run. I think Senegal has a real shot to make a deep run.
U.S. Soccer Future
The legacy of this kit represents a new beginning for the Federation. The Federation building a new training facility, the current state of the women's team transitioning into a new era where they expect to win every match, and the men's team being reflective of America. This is just a new beginning.
Player Involvement in Design
Allowing the players to sit down with the designers, sit down with Nike, talk about what USA means to them, talk about what they feel best looking like playing in—that doesn't happen very often. That's quite rare.
Kit Technology
Ahead of the event this summer we launched our newest material platform called AeroFit. It is our most sustainable and most innovative material platform ever. It is lighter, more durable, has more stretch, and it is actually twice as breathable as the previous iteration.
